Callahan, of course, is the former captain of the New York Rangers who was so suddenly and famously traded for Martin St. Louis at the trade deadline last season. The move was one which propelled the underdog Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Game 6 between the Lighting and Canadiens will be in Tampa on Tuesday night. Montreal is looking to force a Game 7 with a potential third straight win in the series. The Lightning are the only NHL team to have not lost three straight games this season.

For Rangers fans this news provides a wide variety of emotions.

While he called New York City his home, Callahan was highly-regarded and one of the more popular fan favorites in years. Now, as the villain and potential opponent for the Blueshirts (should both teams advance), New York can’t say they’ll miss seeing him on the ice.

While an emergency appendectomy is nothing to sneeze at, this is Callahan. After all, he’s a hockey player.